Apparatus for producing ignition-sparks within cylinders of internal-combustion engines.



F. A. ZIKA. APPARATUS FOR PRODUOlNG IGNITION SPARKS WITHIN CYLINDERS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DIKLB, 1913. 1,1 10,41 5, Patented Sept. 15, 1914. Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F, ZIKA.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING IGNITION SPARKS WITHIN CYLINDERS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 8,1913

1,1 10,41 5, Patented Sept 15,191L

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

WWII" Wmwma {1 provide means whereby I may entirely sup- UNITED" STATES. r grnn'r OFFICE.

FRANK A. ZIK4, 0F EVANSTON', ILLINOIS, nssmnon, or ONE-HALF 'ro JAMES E. BARRY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING IGNITION-SPARKS WITHIN CYLINDERS OF INTERNAL- COMFUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Iatented Sept. 15, 1914.

- Within cylinders of internal combustion engines. One of the objects of my invention is to plant the use of individually insulated, suspended, electric wires to transmit the high potential current to the spark plugs of an engine, by inclosing them in an insulating medium common to all of then thus increasing the integrity, reliability and durability of such systems.

Another object of my invention is to proyide means whereby the insulating element, carrying the conductors for conveying the high potential current, may conveniently be removed, as a whole, for inspection and repair and a new or'pcrfect duplicate'part or element quickly substituted.

()ther,- further and more specific objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a four cylinder internal combustion engine showing my apparatus mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical, central section of a portion of the device. Fig. 3 is asimilar view of a switch and coil box portion of the device. Fig. 1 is a transverse section, taken on line44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end view of the intermediate, oscillatable portion of the device. Fig. 6 is an end view of the removable conductor carrying element; Fig". 7 is a longitudinal central section of a fragment of said element. Fig. 8 is a detail of yielding lateral terminal and hood for completing electrical connection between said conductor and spark plug.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

My present invention is an improvement 011 the structure disclosed in my co-pending applications Serial No. 772,587 and 772,588 filed June 9th, 1913.

I have herein shown my invention as applied to an engine for propelling an automobile but it is equally applicable to similar engines in other situations wherein spark plugs are required as means for producing the sparks within the cylinders of combustible charges.

In the oxcmplification chosen, for proper disclosure of my invention, 10 is an internal combustion engine provided with spark plugs 11, 12, 13 and 14. The engine is shown mounted upon the frame 15, of an automobile having a water cooler, or radiator 16; a hood 17; and provided with a dash board 18 and a foot board '19, as usual in such structures.

20 is a magneto, preferably of a high tension type, mounted upon a suitable support,

such as a bracket 21 which is secured to the engine, and which affords a bearing 22 for a vertically disposed shaft 23, adapted to drive the magneto 20 through an intervening miter-gear 24.

A switch box 25 contains an induction coil, or transformer 26, of the usual type, and is provided with connected pivotal switch arms 27 and 28, adapted to turn on a stud 29. A tube of preferably insuli ting material 30, connects the switch box 25 with the interior of the magneto 20.

Secured to the magneto 20, is a bearing member 31 which is, preferably, axially con centric with the tube 30. A rotatable 1118111 her is provided with a hollow hub 33 that projects into the bearing 31. It is rotatable upon the ball bearing 33 one member 34" of who-h is secured to a relatively stationary but oscillatable intermediate member 34. The rotatable member32 is a gear wheel that meshes into a pinion 35 that is driven by the magneto shaft through the miter-gear 24. The member 32 is driven at the proper relative speed with the reciprocat-ing excursion of the pistons of the engine, in order that there may be estab- Each is capable of lished and maintained a proper time relation between the spark occurrence and the movements of the pistons in the respective cylinders. A conductor-carrying element 36 which is removable from, and readily .replacable in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, carries electric conductors 37, 38, 39 and 40, preferably embedded therein. of these conductors terminates, as shown in Fig. 8, in a spiral spring 41, which vertical yielding movement when brought into contact with the top 42 of the respective spark plugs. The spring 41 is preferably protected by means of an insulating cap, or hood 43, which surrounds the helical spring and the top portion of the spark plug, to protect them from the effect of water that may leak through the hood 17, from rain, or that may be'thrown against the engine by the use of a hose when the machine is being washed.

The conductors 37 to inclusive each terminate in spring-pressed plugs 44, shown' more clearly in Fig. 2, held outwardly in a substantially common transverse plane by a coiled spring 45, which abut against the respective conductors 54-5 7 to complete electric circuit between said plugs and their respective conductors.

The intermediate oscillatable part 34 is provided with a recess 46 into which the end of the member 36 projects, and a washer 47, freely movable longitudinally of the member 36, may be pushed into close position, shown in Fig. 2, to prevent entrance of water into the recess 46, and as the washer 47 is slidable along the member 36 it may be moved readily when the member 36 is being removed from its normal position.

The member 36 is provided, on its outwardly extending end, with a cap 48, having a central depression 49 to receive a point the conductors 37 to 50 of the spring bracket 51. By this means the member 36 is supported and when it is desired to remove said member, it is only necessary to move back the extended end of the spring bracket 51 until the part 50 leaves the depression 49, when the outer end of said member may be lifted free from the recess When the member 36 is replaced it is held concentrically with the current distributer b i the depression 49 and the point 5O and the connection with each of 40 inclusive is com pleted with its respective spark plug through the yielding terminal spring 41. The member 36 may be made of an insulating body-having the conductors 37 to 40 inclusive embedded therein, as by vulcanization, or otherwise, or itmay be made of a tube having the conductors 37 to 40 properly placed and filled in with a suitable composition of an insulating nature so that there will be no relative movement of the conductors within the tube, thus avoiding 46 in the part 34.

'vers 27 and 28.

rupture by crystallization due to the vibration of the engine and the movement of the automobile as customary in devices ofthis general character having individually insulated and separately supported conductors for the high potential current. When the member 36 is placed in position the spring pressed plugs 44 bear against the inner surface of the recess in the parts 34. The part 34 is provided with another recess 52 which is concentric with the recess 46 and between which there is a wall 53. Embedded in the wall 53 are electric conductors 54, 55, 56, and 57. These conductors are circumferentially elongated as shown in Fig. 5, ,to

ermit some relative oscillating movement etween the member 34 and the member 36.

Secured to the gear 32 is a hollow hub 58 which projects into the recess 52 and which carries a single spring pressed plug .59 adapted to make electrical connection with conductors 37 to 40 in consecutive order when the member 58 is rotated, said connection being established through the conductors 54 to 57 inclusive. 1

Fitting in the end of the hollow hub 33, of the rotatable member 32, is an insulating plug 60 having a spring pressed conductin plug 61. This plug is connected to the Spring pressed plug 59 by wire 62. Located concentrically, in the tube 30, is a terminal 63 which makes electrical connection with the spring ressed plug 61 which permits rotation of t e latter without disturbing the electrical connection. The terminal 63 is connected by wire 64 to the conducting le- The oscillatable part 34 carries another spring pressed plug 65 which makes yielding electrical connection with conductors 66, 67, 68 and 69 carried on the flange of the rotatable hollow hub 58. These conductors are grounded, that is to say, they are connected to the frame of the device and engine by means of pins 70, which are in electrical connection with the gear Wheel 32, by which they are secured to the rotatable member 32. The plug 65 is connected by wire 71 to a switch terminal 72 in the box 25. In Fig. 1 this wire is shown as entering the tube 30 as at 73.

An arm 74 projects from the oscillatable part 34, to which arm is pivotally connected a rod 75 by the movement of which the part 34 may be oscillated for the purpose of changing the lead of the spark time within the respective cylinders with reference to the movements of the respective pistons therein.

The magneto 20 has one of its conducting terminals grounded as usual, the other 76, being connected by a wire 77 to the switch 78, within the box 25.

The manually operable switch of the box 25, is designed to be used for the purpose of selecting either one of two sources of electrical energy for the purpose of energizing the spark plugs ;the magneto 20, or the battery 80, by proper movement of the exteriorally resented switch lever 27.

The positive terminal of the battery 18 connected b wire 81 to switch contact 82 within the ox. The negative terminal is connected by Wire 83 to the adjustable screw 84:, of the vibrating device, and to the primary coil 85 of the transformer 26. One of the terminals of the,primary coil is connected to the wire 91 as at 88, the point 88 constituting a joint terminal of the secondary and of the primary coils. The wire 87 is connected to the switch 89 and to the wire 90, which is grounded or connected to the machine frame as at 91. The other terminal of the secondary coil is connected by wire 91 to the prolonged switch contact 93. The operation of the device is as follows: Preliminarily to starting the engine, the switch lever 27 is placed in contact with the prolonged contact 93 and blade 28 with contact 82. This closes the primary circuit from the battery, over the wire 81, to the contact point 82, over the switch blade 28 to the lever 27 back to the prolonged contact 93 over the wire 91 to the point 88, which is the joint terminal for the primary and secondary coils of the transformer 26, back through the primary 85, of the transformer, over the vibrator and the wire 83 to the negative terminal of the battery. This insures the operation of the vibrator. After ascertaining which the lever 27 is moved farther on the prolonged contact 93, until the switch blade 28 comes into electrical connection with the contacts 89 and 72. This closes the secondary circuit through the spark plugs as. follows: The primary circuit will be as before. The path of the secondary circuit is from the secondary winding of the transformer 26, over the wire 91, switch arm 27, through wire 64, to the spark plug, back over the ground wire 71, to the contact 89, which is now closed by the blade 28. As both wires 71 and 90 are grounded the return circuit will pass over either of these wires but in this case will pass over the wire 90 to contact 72 and over the wire 87 to the sec ondary terminal of the secondary coil of the transformer, thus completing the secondary circuit through the secondary winding of the transformer and spark plugs. As this circuit is completed only when the spring pressed plug 59, of the rotatable member 58 is in contact with the contact members 54 to 57 inclusive in the wall 53, the circuit will be open when the spring pressed plug 59 is raveling from one contact to another,-for stance from contact 54 to 55,the circuit -:l be again closed through the conductor I when the plug 59 makes contact with the nu uiber 55 and so on, energizing each of the conductors 37 to 40 inclusive in the member 36 in consecutive order. If the part 3% be oscillated, so that the spring pressed plug 59 will make electrical connection with the contacts 54 to 57 inclusive at a relatively later time, the conductors 37 to 40 inclusive will, in their order, be energized at a later period with reference to the reciprocation of the particular piston associated with the respective spark plug and therefore the oscillation of the intermediate member 34, with reference to the rotatable member 32 and the relatively stationary member 36, serves as a means for varying the spark time in the re spective cylinder At any time that it is desirable to use the magneto 2Q, for the purpose of energizing the spark plugs of the engine,the switch lever 27 may be manually moved to the right until it makes electrical connection with the switch contact 78 at which time the circuit from the magneto will be from the terminal 76, over the wire 77, to the switch contact 78, through the switch lever 27 over the wire 64 and through the spark plug to ground, return over the ground through the spring pressed plug 65 which makes contact with any one of the connectors 60 to (34 inclusive, and which are means for period ically grounding the magneto circuit; through the ground afforded by the frame work of the magneto, and of the engine, back to the grounded terminal of the armature coil within the magneto, thus completing the magneto circuit.

\Vhile I have herein shown and described a single embodiment ofmy invention for the purpose of clear disclosure it is evident that changes may be made in the form, arrangement and construction of many of the parts, within the scope of the appended claims,

without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the character described,

for use with an engine having a plurality of cylinders and corresponding spark plugs, the combination of a removable conductorcarrying insulating element for removable support on an engine; a plurality of conductors, suitable for the spark plugs of the engine, carried by said element; laterally extending terminals, one for each conductor, for engagement with said spark plugs, respectively; a rotating current distributer and means for effectively changing the circumferential positions of said conductors with reference t6 the rotating conductor of the distributer to vary the spark time.

2. In a device of the character described,

for use with an engine having a plurality of for the spark plugs of the engine, embedded said conductors with reference to the rota-- ting conductor of the distributer to vary the spark time. Y

3. In a device of the character described, for use with an engine having a plurality of cylinders and corresponding spark plugs, the combination of a conductor-carrrying, insulating element, for support on an engine; conductors terminating at one end thereof and laterally at longitudinal intervals, for respective engagement with said spark plugs; current distributing means, for energizing said conductors in consecutive order; an intervening, oscillatable means, between said distributer and said conductors, and means for oscillating said intermediate meains to vary the spark time.

4. In a device of the character described, for use with an engine having a plurality of cylinders and corresponding spark plugs, the combination of a removable-conductorcarrying, insulating element, for removable support on an engine; conductors embedded in said element terminating at one end thereof, and laterally at longitudinal intervals, for respective engagement with said spark plugs; yielding means for connecting said conductors to the respective spark plugs; current distributing means for energizing said conductors in consecutive order; and intervening oscillatable means carrying a connector for each conductor intervening between said distributer and said conductors and means for oscillating said intervening means.

5. In a device of the character described, for use with an engine having a plurality of cylinders and suitable spark plugs, the co n bination with an insulating, conductor-can rying element to be mounted on an engine; a series of high potential conductors embedded in said element, terminating at one end thereof in a common plane, and terminating,

cylinders and suitable spark plugs, the combination with an insulating, conduetor-carrying element to be mounted on said engine; a series of high potential longitudinally extending conductors embedded in said element having yielding terminals at one end, in a common plane, and terminating respectively in yielding terminals at longitudinal intervals coextensive with the separation of said plugs; means for consecutively energizing said conductors, and means for removably holding said element in position.

7. In a device of the character described, for use with an engine having a plurality of cylinders and corresponding spark plugs, the combination of a plurality of insulated, substantially parallel conductors, terminating in a transverse plane at one end and laterally at suitable longitudinal intervals for coaction with respective spark plugs; a circuit distributer for energizing said conductors in consecutive order, and an oscillatable member intermediate said conductors and said distributer for varying the spark time.

8. In a device of the character described, for use with an engine having a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of spark plugs, the combination of a removable conductor-carryim insulating element for support on the engine, a plurality of longitudinally extending conductors carried by said element, terminating at one end thereof and laterally at longitudinal intervals,'for respective en gagement withsaid spark plugs, and means for making contemporaneous contact of said terminals with the respective plugs.

In witness hereof, I have hereunto set my hand and allixed my seal, this 5th day of December, A. D. 1913.

FRANK A. ZIKA. [n.s]

Witnesses:

Mrnnnno ELSNER, Jso. G. ELLIOTT. 

